Friday, July 29, 2011

As Rebekah Brooks prepares to testify in front of Parliament on Tuesday, one magazine revisits the most famous—and fashionable—redheads of all time, from Tilda Swinton to Anne Boleyn,

As the Murdoch empire goes up in flames—one image ingrained in our minds is the mug of Rebekah Brooks, former editor of News of the World and CEO of News International who will testify alongside Rupert and James Murdoch in London on Tuesday in connection with the newspaper’s phone-hacking scandal. Her image memorable for one reason: that shock of wild red hair. She may be the latest casualty of the massive implosion—but to many, Brooks is reminiscent of another redhead: Olympic gold medal-winning snowboarder Shaun White. On Monday, Italian Vogue took Brooks’ moment in the spotlight as an opportunity to revisit famous redheads in history. From Tilda Swinton to Anne Boleyn, see pictures from Italian Vogue.

Laurence R. Gesquiere, a research associate in the department of ecology and evolutionary biology at Princeton, and colleagues report in the journal Science that in five troops of wild baboons in Kenya studied over nine years, alpha males showed very high stress levels, as high as those of the lowest-ranking males.

The stress, they suggested, was probably because of the demands of fighting off challengers and guarding access to fertile females. Beta males, who fought less and had considerably less mate guarding to do, had much lower stress levels. They had fewer mating opportunities than the alphas, but they did get some mating in, more than any lower-ranking males. After all, when the alpha gets in another baboon bar fight, who’s going to take the girl home?—"Baboon Study Shows Benefits for Nice Guys, Who Finish 2nd," -The New York Times

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Talk to Me explores the communication between people and things. All objects contain information that goes well beyond their immediate use or appearance. In some cases, objects like cell phones and computers exist to provide us with access to complex systems and networks, behaving as gateways and interpreters. Whether openly and actively, or in subtle, subliminal ways, things talk to us, and designers help us develop and improvise the dialogue.

The exhibition focuses on objects that involve a direct interaction, such as interfaces, information systems, visualization design, and communication devices, and on projects that establish an emotional, sensual, or intellectual connection with their users. Examples range from a few iconic products of the late 1960s to several projects currently in development—including computer and machine interfaces, websites, video games, devices and tools, furniture and physical products, and extending to installations and whole environments.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

"Within the past decade, Beijing has debuted as the defining city of the now and foreseeable future, and China as the ascendant global power. Beijing is the ultimate representation of China's political and cultural capital, of its might-and threat. For so long, the city was closed off to the world, literally built around the Forbidden City, the icon of all that was ominous about China. But now, the country is eager to show off its new openness, its glory and magnanimity, and Beijing is its star. When Tom Scocca arrived in 2004-an American eager to see another culture-Beijing was looking toward welcoming the world to its Olympics four years later, and preparations were in full swing to create a renewed city.

Scocca talked to the scientists tasked with changing the weather; interviewed designers and architects churning out projects; checked out the campaign to stop public spitting; documented the planting of trees, the rerouting of traffic, the demolition of the old city, and the construction of the new metropolis. Beijing Welcomes You is a glimpse into the future and an encounter with an urban place we do not yet fully comprehend, and the superpower it is essential we get to know better."

About the Author

Tom Scocca was the "Off the Record" columnist and media editor for The New York Observer before decamping to Beijing. Previously, he was an editor and writer for the Washington, D.C., and the Baltimore editions of City Paper. A Baltimore native, he is settling in New York with his wife and son (a Beijing native). He writes the "Scocca" blog for Slate, and his byline appears regularly in The Boston Globe and The Awl.

Friday, July 15, 2011

Fifa could allow matches at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar to be played over three 30-minute periods if temperatures in the stadiums became dangerously high for the players.

Michael Beavon, a director of Arup Associates who helped to develop the zero-carbon solar technology that will cool the 12 stadiums, told delegates at the Qatar Infrastructure Conference in London that the air-cooling would maintain a comfortable temperature of around 24 degrees Celsius in the stadiums.

"There is a moderate risk of heat injury to the players between 24C-29C but if you go above that you have high and extreme risk of injury. The one thing Fifa do say, although it is for guidance, is if it's 32C they will stop a match and play three 30-minute thirds rather than two 45-minute halves.

"The reason would be to re-hydrate the players before they could carry on playing. That of course would play havoc with TV schedules and those kind of things. The commitment from Qatar was to provide conditions in the moderate band, so that matches would go ahead and be played as normal. Matches have to be played at an acceptable temperature and in safety so that Fifa do not intervene."

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Roy Williams can breathe a little easier after the $76,000 engagement ring he sent to ex-girlfriend Brooke Daniels, former Miss Texas USA, was returned to him a month after she declined his proposal.

"A signed affidavit by Williams said that when he initially asked for the ring back, Daniels said she had lost it. But an insurance investigation revealed that it was in the possession of her father, leading Williams to file the now-infamous lawsuit to get the finger-bling back. Williams got his wish."

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

ESPN will broadcast Wimbledon from start to finish beginning with next year's tournament, the network and the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club announced Tuesday. The agreement will run for 12 years.

In acquiring the U.S. television rights, ESPN will present the tournament, including the men's and women's singles finals, across a variety of platforms -- and all of the coverage will be shown live.

Matches will air on ESPN and ESPN2 simultaneously the second Monday through Wednesday. This will allow for expanded coverage of the fourth round and live telecasts of all quarterfinals.

ESPN will televise the semifinals and finals; ESPN on ABC will broadcast a three-hour highlights show on the middle Sunday of the tournament, and will re-air the finals on a same-day basis at 3 p.m. ET.

The news that Chicago sandwich spot Potbelly is finally making its way to our shores might not make Tina Fey jump for joy (unlike her buddy Amy Poehler, the former Chicagoan prefers Jimmy Johns) but it certainly isn't bringing us down. The sandwich shop will be making its first foray into New York in a 2,000-square-foot space at 2 Gold Street.

And Potbelly (which, FYI, is named after the type of stove not excess stomach) won't be alone in in the Financial District building. Other food related tenants there include Pret-A-Manger, Goodburger and Hot Clay Oven.

Since the 34-year-old chain already has locations in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Maryland, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Washington DC and Wisconsin we know they've got experience with expansion. But we'd like to go on the record and say we sincerely hope that this won't be the start of a massive NYC expansion.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

With her haunting green eyes set in a once unknown innocent face, Steve McCurry’s Afghan Girl was a stark reminder of the effects of war. One click of a Nikon camera was all that was needed to grab the world’s attention and underscored the idiom that a picture is worth a thousand worlds. Smuggling film sewn into his native costume, Steve was able to show some of the very first images from the Afghani/Russian conflict. With his colorful style and keen eye, Steve is able to document images that visually excite and are fuel for discussion. Born in Philadelphia, His work has spawned many awards including the Robert Capa medal for best photographic reporting from abroad. He has been featured in every major magazine in the world and is often featured in National Geographic. A legend in the photography world Steve was able to persuade Kodak to give him the last roll of kodachrome film and used it to document images all over the world.

His latest book draws from the Iconic photographs that he has taken over the years. Named, The Iconic Photographs, Steve has drawn from the best of his work and built a collection of 160 photographs spanning a career that has lasted decades. Only 3300 copies have been published making the coffee top book a coveted prize to those who love his style of photo journalism. The book captures the life of people around the world as seen through the vivid eyes of McCurry, containing scenes of people eating; sleeping, fishing and sleeping together bring a world to those that would perhaps never see what is contained outside of their own lives. He is able to document what may seem like the insignificant and bring it to life. His most famous portraits including the Afghan girl are presented in a life size form so to create a better intimacy with the subject. His pictures are beautiful, poignant at times yet uplifting. A testimony to a wonderful career!

Published by Phadion and availible on Phadion on-line book store for USD$395.00

From Met Museum - This first retrospective of drawings by the contemporary American artist Richard Serra (b. 1939) presents a comprehensive overview of some forty years of his drawing activity. It traces the development of drawing as an art form independent from yet linked to his sculptural practice.

Through some fifty drawings and a selection of sketchbooks, the exhibition presents the evolution of Serra's drawing from the early 1970s—when he worked primarily on paper with more traditional mediums such as ink, charcoal, lithographic crayon—to the mid-1970s when he turned to black paintstick, a crayon comprised of a mixture of pigment, oil, and wax.

The exhibition culminates in site-specific, large-scale works, completed specifically for this presentation. The selection of sketchbooks from different decades and places completes the understanding of the artist's use of drawing as a system of thinking.

Product Description\ via Amazon - AS ALEX PRUD’HOMME and his great-aunt Julia Child were completing their collaboration on her memoir, My Life in France, they began to talk about the French obsession with bottled water, which had finally spread to America. From this spark of interest, Prud’homme began what would become an ambitious quest to understand the evolving story of freshwater. What he found was shocking: as the climate warms and world population grows, demand for water has surged, but supplies of freshwater are static or dropping, and new threats to water quality appear every day. The Ripple Effect is Prud’homme’s vivid and engaging inquiry into the fate of freshwater in the twenty-first century.

The questions he sought to answer were urgent: Will there be enough water to satisfy demand? What are the threats to its quality? What is the state of our water infrastructure—both the pipes that bring us freshwater and the levees that keep it out? How secure is our water supply from natural disasters and terrorist attacks? Can we create new sources for our water supply through scientific innovation? Is water a right like air or a commodity like oil—and who should control the tap? Will the wars of the twenty-first century be fought over water?

Monday, July 11, 2011

Ø Requires that in an FAA enforcement action against a pilot, the FAA must grant the pilot all relevant evidence 30 days prior to a decision to proceed with an enforcement action. This is currently not done and often leaves the pilot grossly uninformed of his violation and recourse.

Ø Clarifies statutory deference as it relates to National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reviews of FAA actions. Too often the NTSB rubber stamps a decision of the FAA, giving wide latitude to the FAA and making the appeals process meaningless.

Ø Allows for federal district court review of appeals from the FAA, at the election of the appellant.

Ø Requires the FAA undertake a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) Improvement Program, requiring simplification and archival of NOTAMs in a central location. The process by which NOTAMs are provided by the FAA has long needed revision. This will ensure that the most relevant information reaches the pilot. Currently, FAA makes pilots responsible for knowledge of pre-flight conditions. Non-profit general aviation groups will make up an advisory panel.

Ø Makes flight service station communications available to all airmen. Currently, the FAA contracts with Lockheed Martin to run its flight service stations. If a request is made for flight service station briefings or other flight service information under FOIA, it is denied to the requestor because Lockheed Martin is not the government, per se. However, they are performing an inherently governmental function and this information should be available to pilots who need it to defend themselves in an enforcement proceeding.

Ø The FAA’s medical certification process has long been known to present a multitude of problems for pilots seeking an airman certificate. The bill requires a review of the FAA’s medical certification process and forms, to provide greater clarity in the questions and reduce the instances of misinterpretation that have, in the past, lead to allegations of intentional falsification against pilots. Non-profit general aviation groups will make up an advisory panel.

A large leafy plant that can cause blindness by touching its sap is working its way across New York this summer.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has issued an official warning on their website: "Giant Hogweed. Do Not Touch This Plant!" Officials are warning residents to beware of infestations of the noxious weed that can grow to over 12 feet tall.

The plants sap can cause:

Blindness

Severe skin and eye irritation

Painful blistering

Permanent scarring

It could also cause red patches which are painless, but that will develop into purple or brown scars that can last for years.

Thursday, July 7, 2011

2nd NW Quadrant: The Approval Matrix

Amazon.com Review

Much has been written about the storied New Hollywood of the 1970s, but at the same time as Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, and Francis Ford Coppola were making their first classic movies, a parallel universe of directors gave birth to the modern horror film-aggressive, raw, and utterly original. Based on unprecedented access to the genre's major players, The New York Times' critic Jason Zinoman's Shock Value delivers the first definitive account of horror's golden age.